embracing digital innovations for cultural heritage

The Together Plan is thrilled to announce its participation in an exciting initiative aimed at upskilling staff through digital, creative gamification, and innovative strategies to enhance the European Union’s Cultural Routes. This project, co-funded by the European Union’s Erasmus+ programme, represents a significant step forward in making cultural heritage more accessible, engaging, and meaningful for diverse audiences.

representing the European Route of Jewish Heritage

As a proud member of the AEPJ (European Association for the Preservation and Promotion of Jewish Culture and Heritage), The Together Plan is honoured to have been selected to represent the network of route managers working on the European Route of Jewish Heritage (ERJH) in the NEXT Routes Project – a EU funded project to explore the development of digital tools for the purpose of innovations in the field of cultural heritage. The ERJH is one of the Cultural Routes recognised by the Council of Europe, highlighting the rich and multifaceted history of Jewish communities across the continent.

At the end of November, Debra Brunner (TTP UK) and Sonya Shaipak (TTP Belarus) and Marc Francesch Camps (AEPJ) representing the European Route of Jewish Heritage  joined representatives from five other cultural routes in Sicily for the Next Routes five-day training programme. These routes included:

• The Phoenician Route
• The Iron Age Danube Route
• The Mozart Ways Route
• ATRIUM (Route of Totalitarian Architecture)
• Routes of the Olive Tree

The training, held in Selinunte and Marsala, focused on leveraging digital tools and gamification to create impactful, engaging experiences for the public to explore Europe’s cultural heritage.

training highlights

The programme was led by expert educators from Breda University in the Netherlands and covered a range of topics, including:

• Best practices in cultural heritage management
• Innovative marketing strategies
• The use of digital tools to enhance public engagement

Participants had the unique opportunity to test a prototype app at four sites along the Phoenician Heritage Route, gaining valuable insights into how digital innovations can transform the way people interact with cultural landmarks.

looking ahead – digital pilots in Minsk and Barcelona

Building on the momentum from the Sicily training, the next phase of the project will involve in-situ testing of the app by each cultural route. For the European Route of Jewish Heritage, The Together Plan will run a gaming lab in Minsk, inviting participants to explore Jewish cultural heritage using the app. Simultaneously, a secondary pilot will be conducted in Barcelona by the AEPJ, offering another opportunity to evaluate the app’s potential in engaging audiences.

the digital future of cultural heritage

Is the future digital? Will gamification and innovative strategies attract more people to the fascinating world of cultural heritage? These are questions we are eager to explore. As highlighted by the Faro Convention—the Council of Europe’s Framework Convention on the Value of Cultural Heritage for Society—cultural heritage plays a crucial role in fostering dialogue, cooperation, and participation. By adapting heritage policies to the needs of society, human progress, and quality of life, we can unlock its full potential as both an asset and a source of individual and collective memory.

Through this programme, The Together Plan is committed to exploring how digital tools can create meaningful connections to Europe’s shared cultural heritage. We look forward to continuing our work with the AEPJ and other Cultural Routes as we navigate this transformative journey in 2025.